b'THE ORME OASIS UPDATEISSUE #5G reetings from the Garden,Did you know that the modern school calendar is based on agricul-ture? Back in the day, kids were only granted the freedom of summer in order to afford their parents some extra labor in the field. The chore list grows as fast as the weeds this time of year on the ranch and a couple extra hands makes the harvest less difficult. Here at Orme in the early days this was the reality. To survive the Great Depression the plot where the current garden still exists was planted out in carrots. You can guarantee the kids here, the original students, spent a fair amount of time tending that field. Isnt it a funny twist of fate then that now, even if we werent in a global crisis, youd all be leaving me to tend the field alone?I bring up this little tidbit of history not to ask your pity but to provide some perspective about how different our world is than it was 100-ish years ago especially with regards to our food. Our global markets were still in their infancy as were grocery stores, Genetic Engineering was still science fiction, and we had no idea the impact tilling soils would have on atmospheric carbon. The mulberries that are ripening around campus were planted not knowing that the people in our time wouldnt know what they look like, taste like, or how to harvest them. Lawns of non-native grasses now a rich, emerald green were planted before we knew of their thirst, greed for soil real estate, or lack of contributions to our diet. TImes have changed but our Oasis is a jewel in the desert and I am so grateful you all want to learn more about what offerings this land has for us. Planting phase is in full swing as I flip bed after bed (cue Hulk visual again), churning through bolted lettuce, separating Iitoi onions, transplanting volunteers of alyssum, calendu-la, and shiso to more strategic locations, and working in that fresh compost. My transplantsplants that I started from seed in the greenhouse that are already a few weeks olddont worry me too much. However, each seed I plant is a little more of a gamble. Last year I had to re-plant all of my beans and cucurbits, the plant family that encompasses everything from zucchinis to pumpkins to coyote gourds (the perennial ancestors to cucurbitaceae that are native to this area), THREE times. Roly-polies, the tiny land crustaceans that roll into a ball when scared and are usually completely innocuous, ate through Every. Single. One. Now you all remember that I eventually won the war but it was a slaughter that I hesitate to repeat, so for now I hold my breath with each one, scooting back the wood chips that dominated the compost mix that tends to attract the arthropods in swarms in hopes that it will keep them away. Will you say a little prayer for them please? Thank you! Has anybody out there experimented with fresh coriander? We talked a few weeks ago about putting coriander leaves, AKA cilantro, in a delightfully bright pesto. Now it has shifted to its summer bod of three foot tall plumes of green topped with sprinkles of white flowers and little delicious fruits/seeds/reproductive bodies. They have the concentrated flavor of the leaves plus a little earthiness. I smashed some up with salt and mixed them in yogurt for a tasty topping to a saute of fresh garden peas and carrots. Other seeds to experiment with are arugula, nasturtium, radish, and mallow. Pickled mallow seeds, which is a common weed in most of the world that is abundant here, are said to be a nice replacement for capers. Nasturtium seeds are sometimes used as a wasabi substitute, which is also my plan for the arugula seeds. What are you experimenting with in the kitchen?Briefly, I wanted to assuage your fears about the Murder Hornet v. Honeybee fear ravaging the Pacif-ic Northwest. There are no reports of it coming this way and most bee experts think the bees will be able to figure out how to right the ecological rift before it gets too dire. Our bees in the observation hive are doing quite well after a bit of a dodgy winter. Wax moths invaded, warmth was insufficient despite our efforts, and the hive construction made winter clean-up nearly impossible for the ladies. Yet, they persisted and are now producing oodles of new brood, honey, and pollen. According to our beekeeper Bill, the hive is currently bringing in horehound nectar and the mesquite tags, a new term for me meaning the structure preceding the flower itself, are fated to open soon to provide another food source. Each bit of honey is seasoned and placec distilled into sugar that lasts forever; a truly miraculous substance. Writing this newsletter for you has been a real treat for me this last quarter of this very strange time. To be honest, Im not sure where this will go from here. Do you want updates over the summer? If so, how often? Do you want updates next year, even though you will (hope-fully) be here? Is this thing on? I can take you through planting the corn, harvesting the potatoes, pinching back the basil, trellising the tomatoes, crushing apricots, and so many more things. but only if you want me to. In any case, I hope this reaches you in good health. As I remind you every time, all 300 acres of this spot of serendipity in the desert misses you dearly.M any thanks,J . Wolfe'